BONUS X-Matrix and Obeya: How to Make Strategy Visible and Actionable for Everyone | Jim Benson and Karl Scotland

Joelle Tegwen: How to Break Through the 'Not My Problem' Mentality Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. As a consultant often entering teams when problems already exist, Joelle encountered a team that took months to get anything into production. While some IT leaders and QA folks didn't see this as problematic, Joelle discovered the QA team was actually struggling with constant retesting due to work coming back repeatedly. She helped the team articulate the value of needed changes and discovered they didn't know how to split stories effectively. By focusing on what they could do rather than what they couldn't, and implementing test automation to enable smaller stories, the team began making meaningful progress toward more sustainable delivery practices. Featured Book of the Week: How Minds Change by David McRaney David McRaney, who runs the podcast “You Are Not Smart” about cognitive biases, presents a powerful insight in “How Minds Change”: we don't actually change other people's minds through arguments or facts. Instead, we need to create space for others to reflect and change their own minds. Joelle recommends this book because it fundamentally shifted her approach to working with teams. The book introduces techniques like Deep Canvassing, which focuses on asking people to tell their story and share what's happening to them, rather than trying to convince them with logic alone. This approach aligns perfectly with Joelle's belief in allowing space for people to reflect while trusting that they have good answers within themselves. Self-reflection Question: How might your current approach to influencing change shift if you focused more on creating space for reflection rather than presenting arguments and facts? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Joelle Tegwen  Joelle helps teams build products that customers love in a sustainable way and with high-quality. She creates environments that foster high performing teams improving their interactions. Her background in science and passion for cognitive science complement her work. Joelle's non-linear, 15-year career in software development has provided her with diverse perspectives. You can link with Joelle Tegwen on LinkedIn.

15 Juli 15min

Joelle Tegwen: Why Your Scrum Master Job Needs a Reset with Every Leadership Change Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Joelle shares her experience as a coach and Scrum Master at a small startup where multiple companies had merged over several years. When a new VP with a conservative approach replaced her original sponsor who favored significant change, Joelle failed to adapt her tactics and align with the new leadership's direction.  She emphasizes the critical importance of listening to feedback from leaders and avoiding the anti-pattern of only listening to peers and direct managers instead of higher-level leadership. Joelle explains that whenever you get a new leader, your job essentially starts over again, requiring you to discover their goals and style through interviews about their priorities. She stresses that change happens through people, not just actions, and that pushing too hard creates more resistance. In this segment, we refer to the book The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins and the Deep Canvassing Technique.  Self-reflection Question: How do you currently assess and adapt to new leadership styles in your organization, and what steps could you take to better align your change management approach with leadership expectations? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Joelle Tegwen  Joelle helps teams build products that customers love in a sustainable way and with high-quality. She creates environments that foster high performing teams improving their interactions. Her background in science and passion for cognitive science complement her work. Joelle's non-linear, 15-year career in software development has provided her with diverse perspectives. You can link with Joelle Tegwen on LinkedIn.

14 Juli 14min

Pascal Papathemelis: The Mobile Product Owner—Why Great POs Move Around and Talk to People Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Visionary Communicator Pascal describes great Product Owners as excellent communicators who possess the courage to confront stakeholders when necessary. These exceptional POs thrive as decision makers and understand the importance of being mobile - they have "legs and walk around to meet stakeholders" rather than remaining isolated in their offices. Great Product Owners maintain a clear vision and excel at breaking down products into granular items that teams can easily pull from the backlog. They demonstrate superior backlog management skills and understand how to focus on creating systems that collect valuable feedback. Pascal emphasizes that it's critical to help Product Owners develop these capabilities so they can flourish in their role as the primary decision makers for their products. The Bad Product Owner: The Dominating Manager Pascal encountered a challenging Product Owner who exhibited several destructive anti-patterns. This PO dominated meetings by talking most of the time while the team remained silent, creating an environment where team members felt unsafe to contribute. The situation was complicated by the fact that this Product Owner also served as the line manager for the team members, blurring the boundaries between product decisions and personnel management. This dual role created a power dynamic that inhibited healthy team collaboration. The PO went so far as to stop retrospectives, even when Pascal explained how these sessions could benefit the entire team. Pascal identifies a critical anti-pattern: when a Product Owner has no channel of communication or coaching support, and they resist help, it becomes impossible to improve the situation. Self-reflection Question: What steps could you take to help Product Owners in your organization develop better communication skills and create safer environments for team collaboration? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Pascal Papathemelis  Pascal is an Agile & Professional Coach that wants to make a positive impact to the people working with. Coaching in Finnish, German and English language. Focus areas are human factors, outcomes, effectiveness, flow, decision making, clarity and constant improvement. You can link with Pascal Papathemelis on LinkedIn.

11 Juli 16min

Pascal Papathemelis: Selecting the Appropriate Agile Values for Organizational Impact Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Pascal defines success for Scrum Masters through his recent mantra of "effectiveness over efficiency," "outcome over output," and "create value for the customer." Working with a client introducing a new digital platform, he focuses on understanding the value for both the organization and end customers while minimizing confusion in the process. Pascal emphasizes the importance of ensuring work sustainability over time by focusing on Agile values and principles and their deep understanding. He customizes the Agile Manifesto's values and principles for each organization, such as focusing on customer value, collaboration, and constant learning. Pascal strategically highlights the principles and values that address the biggest challenges facing the organization at any given time, making Agile concepts relevant and actionable for the specific context. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Sailboat Pascal recommends the sailboat retrospective as his preferred format, though he emphasizes that the choice depends on context and team focus. He values this metaphor-based retrospective because it helps teams discuss critical aspects of their work through different perspectives. The sailboat format allows teams to explore what propels them forward (wind), what holds them back (anchors), what they need to watch out for (rocks), and their destination (island). Pascal also uses timeline retrospectives and stresses the importance of varying retrospective formats to prevent teams from falling into routine patterns that might limit their ability to bring fresh insights to their work. He believes that good data and effective visualization are essential components of any successful retrospective format. Self-reflection Question: How effectively are you customizing Agile principles to address your organization's specific challenges and context? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Pascal Papathemelis  Pascal is an Agile & Professional Coach that wants to make a positive impact to the people working with. Coaching in Finnish, German and English language. Focus areas are human factors, outcomes, effectiveness, flow, decision making, clarity and constant improvement. You can link with Pascal Papathemelis on LinkedIn.

10 Juli 15min

Pascal Papathemelis: From Waterfall to Agile—A Multi-Level Change Strategy Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Pascal describes a successful agile transformation where he collaborated with a fellow coach in the IT department of a large organization with a waterfall history and heavy documentation-driven processes. The two coaches worked together effectively, sharing information and scouting for opportunities to take action. They began with an assessment and discussions across IT, business, and management levels to understand the current state. Using the Cynefin framework to understand complexity, they conducted a two-day workshop to introduce Agile vocabulary, covering concepts like Push/Pull and process waste.  The coaches operated at multiple levels simultaneously - working strategically with leadership who typically pushed excessive work to the organization, while also helping teams visualize their processes and clarify priorities. At the team level, they acted as Scrum Masters to demonstrate the role while mentoring the actual Scrum Master through one-on-one sessions. They also supported the Product Owner in understanding their role and used story maps to help visualize and organize work effectively. Self-reflection Question: How might collaborating with another coach or change agent amplify your effectiveness in leading organizational transformation? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Pascal Papathemelis  Pascal is an Agile & Professional Coach that wants to make a positive impact to the people working with. Coaching in Finnish, German and English language. Focus areas are human factors, outcomes, effectiveness, flow, decision making, clarity and constant improvement. You can link with Pascal Papathemelis on LinkedIn.

9 Juli 15min

Pascal Papathemelis: The Hidden Cost of Removing Scrum Masters from High-Performing Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Pascal shares a cautionary experience with mature Scrum teams that appeared to function flawlessly. These teams demonstrated excellent Scrum practices with minimal impediments, leading management to conclude that Scrum Masters were unnecessary. When management removed all Scrum Masters from the department, the previously high-performing teams began to struggle significantly.  Team members had to absorb the responsibilities previously handled by their Scrum Masters, causing them to lose focus on their core value-creating work. Different teams adopted various approaches to fill the Scrum Master void, but none proved effective. Pascal reflects that the Scrum Masters could have made their value more visible by supporting Product Owners more actively and becoming more involved in team tasks. This experience taught him the importance of demonstrating the ongoing value that Scrum Masters provide, even when teams appear to be self-sufficient. Featured Book of the Week: Learning Out Loud—Community Learning and Networking Pascal draws his greatest inspiration not from a single book, but from active participation in the Agile community. He finds tremendous value in discussions within local communities, networking events, and sparring sessions with colleagues. Pascal particularly benefits from Agile Coaching circles in Helsinki, which provide practical knowledge and insights. He also gains inspiration from Agile conferences, but credits Agile Coaching Camps as having the biggest impact - these 2.5-day open space format events are intense and packed with valuable insights. Pascal recommends that Scrum Masters actively engage with their local Agile communities and attend coaching camps to accelerate their professional development and gain diverse perspectives. Self-reflection Question: How visible is the value you provide as a Scrum Master, and what steps could you take to make your contributions more apparent to your organization? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Pascal Papathemelis  Pascal is an Agile & Professional Coach that wants to make a positive impact to the people working with. Coaching in Finnish, German and English language. Focus areas are human factors, outcomes, effectiveness, flow, decision making, clarity and constant improvement. You can link with Pascal Papathemelis on LinkedIn.

8 Juli 19min

Pascal Papathemelis: From Mechanics to Human Factors—How Scrum Masters Grow Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Pascal shares his evolution as a Scrum Master, moving from focusing purely on the mechanics of Scrum to understanding the critical importance of human factors. Early in his career, Pascal worked with teams that struggled to achieve sprint goals, with stories floating from one sprint to another. Through retrospectives and continuous improvement, he learned essential tips like not taking too much into sprints and making stories smaller.  However, Pascal's biggest transformation came when he shifted focus to human elements - involving everyone in the team, improving collaboration during refinement, and developing people's skills and attitudes. He emphasizes that every person is an individual with the intention to be their best, and a good Scrum Master must sense when something is wrong and create safe environments for open conversations. Pascal highlights the importance of corridor conversations and coffee machine breakthroughs, especially before COVID, and stresses the need to invest effort in how teams start, using models like Tuckman's team growth model and Diana Larsen's Team Liftoff approach. In this segment, we also refer to the episode with Arne Roock, about the importance of team design and setup in the success of teams. Self-reflection Question: How might shifting your focus from Scrum mechanics to human factors transform the way you support your team's growth and collaboration? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Pascal Papathemelis  Pascal is an Agile & Professional Coach that wants to make a positive impact to the people working with. Coaching in Finnish, German and English language. Focus areas are human factors, outcomes, effectiveness, flow, decision making, clarity and constant improvement. You can link with Pascal Papathemelis on LinkedIn.

7 Juli 15min

Bernard Agrest: Millions of Users, Multiple Stakeholders—The Art of Product Owner Navigation Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Stakeholder Navigator Bernard describes an exceptional Product Owner who managed a product impacting millions of people while navigating constantly evolving requirements from multiple stakeholders. This Product Owner excelled at understanding each stakeholder's unique needs and communicating effectively with all of them. What made this person truly great was their ability to come to the development team with a clear understanding of both the business case and user needs, having done the hard work of stakeholder management upfront. This Product Owner understood that their role was to be the bridge between complex stakeholder requirements and clear team direction. The Bad Product Owner: The Collaborative Hoarder Bernard identifies a dangerous anti-pattern: the Product Owner who adds everything to the backlog under the guise of being "collaborative." While this behavior appears inclusive and team-friendly on the surface, it actually demonstrates that the Product Owner isn't following through on delivering real value. These Product Owners become almost exclusively focused on authority rather than outcomes, making them particularly difficult to coach since they resist guidance. Bernard recommends using Cost of Delay as both a prioritization technique and a tool to help Product Owners understand why certain items shouldn't be added to the backlog at all. Self-reflection Question: Is your Product Owner truly collaborating by providing clear direction, or are they avoiding difficult prioritization decisions by adding everything to the backlog? In this segment we refer to the Coach Your Product Owner e-course that we created for everyone who needs to help their Product Owners succeed! [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. 🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Bernard Agrest Bernard currently leads a major software implementation at University of Wisconsin—Madison Medical School, serving over 10,000 employees. Previously, he built a PMO and led Data and Learning at Teach For America. His journey began redesigning operations for a Veteran Service Organization, where he co-led national initiatives and launched a new alumni program. You can link with Bernard Agrest on LinkedIn.

4 Juli 12min